A grandfather whose home was badly damaged when a tree fell on the roof faces at least three months in temporary accommodation while repairs are completed.

Melvin Toon, of Bulwell , was asleep when the horse chestnut tree came down on the morning of Saturday, February 9, at the height of Storm Erik.

The incident in Naomi Crescent caused extensive damage to the roof of the council property - where Mr Toon lived with son Paul, who is also his carer - and to the three bedrooms upstairs.

The dad-of-three has been living with his other son since then, and Paul has been staying with a cousin. But they are both now living in temporary accommodation in Snape Wood, Bulwell, along with pet dog Stanley.

Mr Toon, 68, said: "I am quite happy that me and my son and the dog are back together. Our relatives have been wonderful looking after us but there is nothing quite like having your own space.

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"We are both alive and that is the main thing and I am quite happy to accept what has happened and get on with my life."

Mr Toon says he has "signed temporary accommodation forms for six months" and it is expected this will be reviewed when that comes to an end. Nottingham City Homes hopes to have repairs complete by June, however.

He is now in the process of making his temporary home liveable, but despite the upheaval, he is just glad everyone is in one piece.

He said: "I am totally shocked but I have to accept it has happened. I will just carry on, battle on, and hopefully re-establish my life. I am in one piece and that is the main thing."

Paul added: "It is still hard to believe what has happened but it is what it is, you have to go with the flow. We didn't die and material things can be replaced."

Following the incident, Mr Toon claimed he had made repeated requests over a period of 35 years for the tree, which was in a neighbour's garden, which is privately owned, to be cut down.

He also revealed he had asked his son to move from the middle bedroom to a bigger room just a few days before the incident. The middle room bore the brunt of the impact.

Melvin Toon and dog Stanley (Image: Austen Blakemore)

Delroy Beverley, Director of Construction, Repairs and Maintenance Services at Nottingham City Homes, said: "We have helped Mr Toon into temporary accommodation and want to get him back into his home as soon as possible.

"The property has been made safe and is watertight, and we will be doing a full assessment of the damage next week. Repair works will commence in March and should take around three months to complete given the scale of damage caused by the tree.

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"We will continue to support Mr Toon and keep him updated throughout."

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